Understand the LGBTQIA+ news: Judge defends ban on Trans+ bathroom use at the office because "office gossip is a feature of every workplace"

Today we bring you an incredibly mixed bag of news. Top of the list, a critical judgement that reshapes the fight for Trans+ rights in the UK and contains a modicum of positivity. But overall it will leave Trans+ people fearful of what it means to attend the office.

We pledged to bring you the wins, and so we've gone into great detail in the positive outcome from the judgment.

We've long known that QueerAF readers are highly engaged, conscientious folk, who take the information we bring you here, and use it for activism. We know you’re freakin’ incredible. But oh my, this week we've been inundated by your response to our investigation - so much so, we haven't had time to respond to everyone yet.

You took our reveal of a harmful book in 58 libraries all over the country, and used it to ensure that number quickly plummeted. We've tracked at least four libraries that have already withdrawn the book. Meanwhile, Trans+ activist Demitri Rodriguez has prepared a template letter for you to send to your library and MP regarding the matter, based on the one that led to the book's removal from his local library. Keep your stories coming, we're reading them all and responding to as many as we can.

All that, in an intensely busy news week. That's why this week, we're focusing on our second of three crowdfunder pledges, to raise funds for a:

• Dedicated Trans+ journalist: Increase our investigations and explainers by increasing the resources for our lead investigative journalist so they can work every week.

This week's news has really put into perspective for us how much a better resourced news team would help us, help you.

Ludovic Parsons, our lead investigative journalist, jumped into action yesterday - despite not planning to be working for us this week - in order to respond to one of the biggest news stories of the year. Our coverage of one of the most significant judgements in Trans+ rights since the Supreme Court is much stronger for it.

It's always been our shtick to get those with lived experience to write on the subjects that only they can truly understand the nuances of. But that remains something that the rest of the media consistently fails on. In the wake of last year’s Supreme Court ruling, we were the only publisher in the UK - including those in the gay media - to hire a Trans+ journalist to respond to the moment.

Jess O'Thomson, who went on to be part of the legal team involved in this week's judgement, turned around a piece in just six hours, that would go on to get thousands of views, win awards for the article, and become the go-to-source in the queer charity sector to understand the ruling.

That’s why we’re crowdfunding: to protect access to journalism that fights back. And even better, to increase how much we can do while investing in talent to build careers, so they can change the media.

But we can’t do this alone. Please support us now 👇

Help us expose the anti-trans machine, uncover Trans+ healthcare inequalities, work with a dedicated Trans+ journalist and produce a queer joy digest so you can see where we're winning and, crucially, how - support QueerAF's annual crowdfunder now.

Understand the LGBTQIA+ headlines and keep track of the latest queer content and perspectives. The QueerAF newsletter is written by Jamie Wareham and a different queer creative each week.

💬 This week:

• EHRC judgment: Campaigners have warned of a "workers rights crisis for Trans+ people" as the High Court rejects Good Law Project's challenge to EHRC interim guidance on single-sex spaces. Ludovic Parsons explains.
• Stonewall Inn: The US president has been slowly rolling back the LGBTQIA+ history of this historic venue. Now he's removed the pride flag. We look at the significance of the move.
• We've More Than Trans: At a time when Trans+ rights are under attack, understanding how chosen family and gender diversities in family models have always been here is critical. Another look at our ultimate toolkit to shut down lies about Trans+ people with Trans+ History Week.

Skip the doomscrolling and support queer creatives instead. We are QueerAF – and so are you.

"Grim decision": High Court rejects challenge to EHRC interim guidance on single-sex spaces

TL;DR: Advice issued by the UK's equalities watchdog after the For Women Scotland ruling was lawful, the High Court has ruled, dismissing fears that forcing Trans+ employees to use gender-neutral or accessible bathrooms will out them by saying "being the subject of comment by others is a burden that anyone can expect to bear".